Scientists announced an amazing discovery

The tail was the first of the feathers that are directly related to dinosaurs.

Scientists from the Chinese geological University in Beijing have discovered a feathered tail of a small dinosaur in amber.

About his discovery, the researchers report in an article published in the journal Current Biology.

Lead author of scientific work Lida Xing (Xing Lida) found a fossil on the market in Myanmar. Dealers believed that piece of amber there are fragments of some plants. However, paleontologists found out that it was the tail, consisting of eight vertebrae and is covered with well-preserved feathers. They found that the remains belonged to an ancient bird, and small carnivorous dinosaur that lived 99 million years ago.

The upper side of the tail, as studies have shown, painted in brown color and the bottom white. In addition, missing feathers the rachis (Central stem), which is typical for modern birds, but there are barbs and boroditsky (smaller branches) that form webs.

According to scientists, in the future can be found the amber pieces that contain other soft parts of dinosaurs.